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墨書 Inktalez
"Don't think too much about it for now. If they really wanted to harm us, they wouldn't let us off so easily. But I'm worried about Mu Tou; I haven't sensed anything from him at all," Xiaopu said with concern.
I was indeed in a difficult position. The situation with Chiba was very strange; both Xiaopu and I couldn't sense him anymore, as if he had vanished into thin air, completely losing contact with us.
"Alright, I'll find Chiba as soon as possible... I'll leave Silver Moon in your care for now."
"Don't worry," Xiaopu said firmly.
"I'll go talk to Silver Moon," I sighed. Silver Moon was very fragile right now, and I couldn't let him feel abandoned at this moment.
...
"Moon, I'm going to find Chiba. I'll be back as soon as I can. During this time, you need to listen to Xiaopu and take care of your injuries, okay?"
Silver Moon, who had been half-closed eyes leaning against the stone wall, suddenly startled. By the time I reacted, his hand was gently gripping my right hand, his face pale as he whispered, "Don't go."
"I promise I'll find Chiba and come back immediately. I won't leave you behind."
"Take me with you. Can we go together?"
"With your current condition, it's very difficult for you to fight. The further we go up, the more dangerous it becomes. It's better to wait until you're healed and then we'll find a way to leave here together."
"Alright, Your Highness. I know you two have a good relationship; it won't hurt to wait a bit longer. Hurry up and let Xi Meng go; the sooner you go, the sooner you'll be back, right?" Xiaopu interjected with a smile between me and Silver Moon.
I turned my head awkwardly and inadvertently saw Silver Moon's grim expression as he looked angrily at Xiaopu. Xiaopu was oblivious, still cheerfully chatting away.
Silver Moon never had such a demeanor, leaving me puzzled and at a loss.
Perhaps noticing my gaze, Silver Moon withdrew his eyes and stared at the stone wall, not looking at me again.
"Alright, I'm leaving now. Don't cause any trouble, Xiaopu," I stood up and reminded him one last time.
Before I left, I glanced repeatedly at Silver Moon, feeling that his current change was quite significant. Yet his voice, appearance, figure, and even the scent on him were all unmistakably Silver Moon's. If this person before me wasn't Silver Moon, then their resemblance was too coincidental.
Or perhaps he could be another trap set by Siyimo.
At that moment, Silver Moon met my suspicious gaze. He paused slightly but showed no signs of retreating. He quietly stared at me, his eyes unblinking.
I withdrew my gaze and ultimately remained silent as I turned to leave.
...
Each layer of the Demon Realm was astonishingly vast. The Duel Arena of Fighting Spirit was located right in the center of each layer, quite a distance away from both Xiaopu and Silver Moon.
I chose a spot to sit down. The Duel Arena was surrounded by layers of spectators; it seemed there were quite a few people wanting to enter the second layer.
I scanned the crowd briefly; most of them were unrecognizable, each sitting separately but occasionally eyeing those around them with a vigilant demeanor. The atmosphere was very serious.
I closed my eyes and sighed in relief; fortunately, although these folks were special, their Soul Energy levels were indeed not very high.
Suddenly, I felt a presence approaching directly towards me. The feeling of being targeted by someone was quite unsettling.
I frowned and immediately took a defensive stance. The other party shouldn't want to engage with me right now, right?
"Hey." A deep male voice rang out.
I opened my eyes to see the person matched the voice—a short, chubby kid, even shorter than me. His features were small but crowded in the center of a large round face, with snow-white skin and vibrant red short hair.
His level wasn't high, classified as a Mid-level Saint of the Underworld, but among this group, he was considered above average. Honestly, I couldn't discern his true form; I vaguely sensed he was not ordinary.
The Chubby Kid raised an eyebrow at me and said, "Are you going to compete too?"
"Of course." I replied briefly, not wanting to engage in further conversation.
"Do you know that every time there’s a competition, two participants are ultimately selected to enter the second tier?"
"Yeah." I nodded.
"I've watched fifty rounds of the Duel Tournament and participated in ten; the other forty were just observations."
I looked at the Chubby Kid in confusion, waiting for him to continue.
"I can only say that among the fifty rounds I've seen, there are quite a few who are at a higher level than you. Of course, those above me go without saying. I'm here purely by chance; I originally thought there wouldn't be any newcomers in this round, which would increase my chances of advancing. I didn't expect another competitor like you to show up."
"Get to the point."
"I know more people here than you do. Why don't we cooperate and look out for each other?"
I continued to keep my eyes closed, remembering what Chiba said: don't trust anyone.
"Hey, if you don't listen to me, you'll regret it."
"…"
"How about this? When we find the treasure, it'll be yours."
"…"
"Really, I just want to leave here. If you can help me, I will definitely repay you in the future."
...Repay? I opened my eyes.
"Repay?" I asked with a laugh.
"What? Do you look down on me?" Chubby Kid puffed out his cheeks.
"You are a Saint of the Underworld. How can you repay me?"
"As long as you agree to cooperate with me, I'll tell you."
"I'm afraid you've got the wrong person. You're right; there are plenty of people stronger than me. Even if I help you, it will only get us past this level. I have little confidence in getting out of the Lost City of Lothar myself."
"Look over there," said the Chubby Kid, pointing at a person.
I followed the direction the Chubby Kid was pointing, and saw a man of average build with shifty eyes. He was glancing around nervously, sporting three tufts of facial hair, and had a large black mole on the left side of his chin.
"The High-ranking Dark Saint is a bit stronger than you," I remarked.
"If it weren't for you, he would have been my number one opponent this time. But now, because of your presence, I suddenly have two opponents."
"So that's why you came to make peace with me, hoping I'll deal with him."
"Exactly. When the time comes for our final showdown, I'll willingly admit defeat, and both spots will still be ours."
The Duel Arena is divided into two sides, with each side selecting one final winner to face off against each other. The ultimate duel is merely to determine rankings, and both participants can qualify for entry into the second level.
Seeing the Chubby Kid's expression seemed somewhat sincere. Given his low level, he probably couldn't pull off any tricks. Besides, regardless of whether I helped him or not, two people would enter the second level in the end. Agreeing to help him didn't seem like a big deal.
"Alright," I replied.
The Chubby Kid's eyes lit up.
"However, you should know that eliminating you would require no effort on my part. Don't try anything funny, understand?"
"Of course. I just want to leave here as soon as possible. I don't have time to waste; I need to get out," said the Chubby Kid, sounding somewhat emotional.
"Xi Meng, Ghost," I briefly introduced.
The Chubby Kid was taken aback and quickly said, "Stone Stump, a demon."
"Stone Demon?" I asked.
Stone Stump nodded.
Only then did I start to seriously examine this Stone Stump, the Chubby Kid.
Stone Demons are not uncommon; they exist in groups. Although they are not a particularly renowned race in the Underworld, they also do not have many enemies like the Tree Enemies. The Stone Demon is a large category, with different levels of Stone Demons divided into several classes. The lowest level is used as decorative items in wealthy households or buildings, while most Stone Demons are at the Death Warrior level.
Due to their inherent limitations, Stone Demons cannot become top-tier experts and pose no threat to any race. Moreover, Stone Demons lack hearts and inner cores; their cultivation method relies solely on time consumption. Therefore, most Stone Demons at this stage will automatically enter a sleep phase, similar to hibernation in animals, losing all sensory functions and remaining in a deep sleep indefinitely, standing still in one place.
Although a Stone Demon of Stone Stump's level is quite rare, there is still no reason for such a small Stone Demon to come to the Lost City of Lothar.
"I came here to seek treasure and rescue my Stone Demon Clan from our sleeping calamity, to strengthen my people." Perhaps to express his sincerity, Stone Stump did not hide his intentions at all.
"How can you be sure there is what you want here?"
"It is said that the legendary Stone Deity obtained a treasure here and ultimately achieved divinity by leaving the Underworld."
"You want to become a deity too?"
"Not really; I just want to help my kin and eliminate that sleeping affliction."
"With your level, it is indeed rare among Stone Demons. Given how difficult your cultivation seems, is it worth the risk to come here?"
"I am the King of the Stone Demon Clan, and it is my responsibility to strengthen the power of my people."
I was taken aback; I never expected that this unassuming Chubby Kid was actually the Stone Demon King!
"Alright, I can follow your instructions for the first layer, but I can't guarantee my ability for the subsequent layers," I replied.
"I understand. I'm just glad you can agree to help me," Stone Stump said with a smile.
I didn't say anything further. In fact, the issue of slumber might not be a disaster for the Stone Demon Clan. Rather, during these turbulent times, it was precisely because the Stone Demons avoided conflict that they could protect the lives of their entire clan.
...
"Bang, bang, bang—" The deafening sound of bells rang out.
"Xi Meng, the Fighting Spirit has begun," Stone Stump said beside me. He had been sitting next to me for the past few days, nervously watching the people coming and going, fearing that new characters might appear.
With the start of the Fighting Spirit, he finally relaxed.
"We're going to be the last ones on stage. Be careful of that guy; Mouse Demon is quite cunning and knows how to play dead," Stone Stump warned.
"From your tone, it sounds like you've suffered at his hands?" I chuckled.
"Hmph! That guy doesn't have any real skills; he just has those sharp mouse teeth! You'd better break his teeth as soon as you step on stage so he won't be so arrogant!"
I shook my head, looking at the matchups before me filled with minor characters; there really wasn't much to see.
"Let me know when it's my turn to go on stage."
In the moment I closed my eyes, I seemed to see the figure of Silver Moon. I suddenly stood up and searched for a long time but found nothing.
"What's wrong?" Stone Stump asked nervously as he got up.
"Nothing, I think I saw someone familiar."
"Oh really? Where?"
"Maybe I was mistaken. He wouldn't come here alone if he was injured." I slowly sat down, feeling somewhat uneasy.
"You don't look so good. Are you alright?"
"I'm fine; it won't affect the competition."
Silver Moon, I hope you truly are my moon.
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